South Sudan sexual violence "rampant," 2-year-old raped -UN

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Rape and other forms of
sexual violence by all sides in South Sudan's civil war have
become so widespread that a 2-year-old child was among the
victims, the U.N. special representative on sexual violence in
armed conflict said on Monday.

"In my 30 years of experience, I've never witnessed anything
like what I saw in Bentiu," Zainab Hawa Bangura told reporters
about a recent trip to the northern town, one of South Sudan's
regions worst hit by the conflict.

Fighting erupted in December in South Sudan - which declared
independence from Sudan in 2011 - after months of political
tension between President Salva Kiir and his sacked deputy and
political rival, Riek Machar. Peace talks brokered by African
regional bloc IGAD have yet to bring an end to the bloodshed.

"Survivors and health care workers told me heartbreaking
stories of rape, gang rape, abduction, sexual slavery and forced
marriage," Bangura said. "Those who try to fight back against
their attackers are often raped with objects instead. Some
victims have even been raped to death."

She said the victims included women, men, girls and boys,
with 74 percent of them below the age of 18, according to South
Sudanese hospital officials.

"The youngest victim they have treated is 2 years old,"
Bangura said.

She said both sides in the conflict have committed sexual
violence, adding that orders had been given within the military
forces to perpetrate rapes on the basis of ethnicity.

Bangura added that said a radio station in Bentiu called
Radio Bentiu FM was used to broadcast appeals for men to rape
women and girls based on their ethnic backgrounds and what was
believed to be their political loyalties.

At the end of Bangura's trip to South Sudan, she and the
government signed a communique outlining steps that would be
taken to put an end to the rapes, adding that the message must
be sent across the military's chain of command, Bangura said.

She was especially concerned about the lack of psychological
and medical care for the victims.

"I am also concerned about the lack of reporting of this
crime due to the closure of government offices, insecurity in
the country, malfunctioning police services, (and) a lack of
capacity by the police and medical service providers," she said.

The conflict in South Sudan has killed more than 10,000
people, caused over 1 million to flee and driven the country of
11 million closer to famine. By year-end, a third of the people
could face the threat of starvation, the United Nations said.

Last month the United States warned Kiir and Machar to
engage in serious peace talks to end nearly a year of violence
in the world's newest state or face U.N. Security Council
sanctions.
(Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; editing by Andrew Hay and
Cynthia Osterman)